1. NCAB warns PCB supply chain is facing a structural reset
Swedish PCB supplier NCAB has published a stark supply chain outlook in May 2026, describing a market under simultaneous pressure from AI demand, geopolitical disruption and raw material shortages. The company’s conclusion is direct: what the industry is experiencing now is not a temporary disruption – it is a structural reset.
NCAB warns that AI is reshaping the global PCB supply chain as demand for HDI, multilayer PCBs, low-loss materials and AI hardware continues to surge. Manufacturers are increasingly prioritising AI-related orders, leading to shortages of raw materials and production equipment that are also affecting standard product lines. The company believes that supply availability and capacity allocation have become more critical than pricing, signalling a fundamental transformation of the industry.
2. Air Liquide invests €200M in Korea to back SK hynix’s AI chip project
Air Liquide has signed a long-term contract with SK hynix and is investing nearly EUR 200 million to build a nitrogen production facility in South Korea to support the company’s P&T7 packaging and testing fab. Scheduled to begin operations in late 2027, the facility will supply ultra-high-purity gases for HBM packaging, a key technology powering AI applications. The investment also marks Air Liquide’s expanded presence in South Korea following its acquisition of DIG Airgas.
3. SCHMID Group to build company-owned manufacturing campus in China
German electronics equipment manufacturer SCHMID Group has signed a letter of intent with local authorities in Zhongshan, Guangdong Province, to establish a new manufacturing campus in the Banfu Industrial Zone. The total investment is expected to be approximately EUR 11 million.
The new campus will consolidate SCHMID’s two existing operations in China into a single company-owned site, nearly doubling manufacturing capacity through expanded space and improved operational efficiency. Targeted to begin operations in mid-2027, the project is part of SCHMID’s “In China for China” strategy aimed at meeting growing demand for HDI manufacturing equipment, IC substrates and AI server boards in the Chinese market.
